I have read a lot of SQL books by now, so a lot of what I get from them is just picking up on little things. For example, I did my first command line install because of the SQL Server Tacklebox and would recommend that to any of my teams going forward. Also, I had heard of items like sp_foreachdb and tabledifference, but being reminded of them will make me more likely to use them.

The idea of storing information relating to all of your databases in a central location is certainly not new, but Rodney does a good job of showing how easy it is that this can be accomplished. The scripts and SSIS packages provided will lay the foundation for any new DBA in this endeavor. Even if you aren’t planning on implementing the central repository, these scripts will help to understand the important topics being addressed and why it is that you need to pay attention to the metrics provided. All in all a very easy read and one which I have recommended to those who are looking at rolling their own monitoring for SQL Server.

NOTE: I know Rodney and consider him a good person and a friend. As such, reviews of his items will probably be a bit biased. Here is the link for the physical copy of the book from amazon. I read this in September 2010.